The T-word

[khaosworks]

Thanks to mactavish for pointing this out in her LJ.

What's Missing From This Article? By Mr. Terence Chua, pondering what you're probably pondering.

Bomb in mail injures 3 at Scottsdale city office
Attack targets director of diversity programs
Emily Bittner and Kristen Go
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 27, 2004 12:00 AM

Investigators hope to re-create a device that detonated in the hands of Scottsdale's diversity director Thursday to try to find clues about who sent the mail bomb.

The attack shocked Scottsdale employees, prompted warnings to other Valley cities, and rocked residents' sense of security.

Don Logan, director of Scottsdale's Office of Diversity and Dialogue, suffered serious burns on his hands and arms in the 1 p.m. explosion at the Human Resources Building near Scottsdale City Hall. A mailroom employee delivered the letter-size package to Logan, to whom it was addressed, in his cubicle.

Logan's secretary, Renita Linyard, and a co-worker, Jacque Bell, suffered minor injuries.

When the package exploded, it shot shrapnel into the walls, carpet and ceiling and burned a 3 1/2-inch-wide hole in Logan's desk. About 25 people were evacuated from the building.

A 'hateful action'

"Such hateful action will not be tolerated, " City Manager Jan Dolan wrote in a news release.

Employees will be told today to be "vigilant" and not open mail from an address or person they don't know.

Scottsdale resident Donna Marie Billen was on her way to City Hall to pay her water bill when she heard about the bomb. "This cannot happen in my town," Billen said. "There is no crime in Scottsdale, that's why I live here."

City officials were unaware of any grievances, threats or orders of protection against Logan or others in the Office of Diversity and Dialogue. They say they have no reason to believe race or Logan's position provided a motive for the bombing. Logan is Black.

Officials made sweeps of the city's mailroom and the U.S. post office near Scottsdale and Osborn roads, looking for packages that resembled the one sent to Logan. No other packages were found.

The explosion triggered similar checks in other Valley cities.

In Phoenix, Mayor Phil Gordon had just arrived at the Phoenix municipal building when the news about Scottsdale hit. Gordon was kept out of his office while his security detail checked all of his incoming mail. Police also checked the city's main mailroom for any suspicious packages or letters.

Police said they had no reason to believe there were any other targets.

Mail bombs are rare, and just a handful of cases has been documented recently in the Valley. In 2000, a Chandler man received a mail bomb at his home, and in 1995, a Scottsdale man received a greeting card that blew up in his hands when he opened it.

Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were working the crime scene Thursday and said they had a good idea about the type of bomb that was used but wouldn't release any details.

The origins of the bomb were still being traced. It had a return address from the Valley, but investigators wouldn't comment on the legitimacy of the address.

Typically, a mail bomb has some kind of signature that is unique to its maker, said Tom Mangan, special agent with the ATF. Re-creating the bomb could give investigators the clues they need.

Logan underwent surgery Thursday afternoon at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, said Sgt. Doug Dirren, a spokesman with Scottsdale police. Linyard's eye injuries could have come from the impact of the explosion or from shrapnel, Dirren said. Bell, who is a senior human resources representative, was treated at the scene. None of the injuries was life-threatening.

The hospital emergency department was closed for an hour while Rural/Metro checked the area and Logan for "chemically toxic substances," said Keith Jones, a hospital spokesman. Nothing was found.

Buildings near the explosion site were evacuated, and a nearby school, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was put on lockdown for several hours.

City employees said they were angry and concerned for their co-workers.

"This is a personal thing for a lot of people," said Mike Phillips, a city spokesman.

Logan a leader

Logan was tapped to create and lead Scottsdale's Office of Diversity & Dialogue in 1998. The office was formed after the city came under fire involving racial prejudice in the Police Department.

Logan and his team have created training and outreach programs for city employees and the community. The office also takes complaints from citizens and city employees.

Logan's leadership recently helped the city win an award for best practices in diversity, Phillips said.

Dolan's news release cautioned, "It is not appropriate to speculate on the individuals or motives behind this senseless act."

Mayor Mary Manross said, "We will get to the bottom of this, and we will find out who it is."

Let's make this clear. I am not blaming this on Bushie.

Read the article in its entirety. A mail bomb explodes. The target is a black person, who runs the Office of Diversity - a political office which was formed in the wake of a controversy involving racial prejudice.

Call me paranoid, but I think there might be reason to believe there's a race connection.

What's missing from this article? An explosive device, possible political connection? One word, nine letters, starts with "T".

Not, "titillate", you idiot.

"Terrorist!"

Thank you. Like I said, I'm not blaming this on Bush. I'm not even suggesting that the T-word isn't being used because of the Bush administration trying to maintain the myth of the lack of terrorist attacks in the US. And no, I'm not being sarcastic here - I seriously mean this.

What's interesting here is that it occurs to nobody to use the word "terrorism". Why? Because it's not religiously motivated? Because it's not an attack from an overseas source? Is domestic terrorism any less frightening or deadly than foreign terrorism? It speaks to a particular mentality that has arisen in America about what can seriously be classified terrorism or not - a siege mentality that does not bode well. You may say I'm reading too much into it, but the unmistakable bouquet of xenophobia isn't a pretty smell, and I'm sensing it lurking not that far beneath the surface.

And they're still investigating the Scottsdale bombing by the way. And not using the T-word at all.

I'm just saying.

Comments

[filceolaire.livejournal.com]

I remember being at Ruth First's funeral in 1982 in Maputo. She was killed by a letter bomb sent by the South African Gov't. She was working as dean of the Centro de Estudios Africanos at the University at the time but happened to be the wife of Joe Slovo.

I never met Ruth First though I knew a number of her colleagues at the CEA.

One person I did know well then was Albie Sachs. A wonderful gentle human being working at the law school and devoting his life to creating a society ruled by law in post colonial Mozambique. He was nearly killed by a car bomb in 1988 after I left. He recovered and is a leading judge in South Africa now.

The ironic thing is that in some ways I agree with the Apartheid terrorists who did this. I believe that educators like Ruth First and Albie Sachs are a real threat to unjust regimes. I would be proud to think the wicked feared me that much.